CAMBRIDGE-BASED SERIAL TECH ENTREPRENEUR and ANGEL INVESTOR

UK Business Angel of the Year 2014/15, charity chair and trustee, mentor and non-executive director (and Dad)

I'm on a mission to improve the journeys of startups by educating angels and entrepreneurs to make fewer mistakes, work better together and and produce more successful exits, This draws on my 50K+ hours of being an entrepreneur and 15K+ hours of angel investing, plus help from many others.

After two years' planning, in August 2017, with the assistance of my younger son, we launched a set of both online and offline platforms, which are informative and fun to listen watch and read (plenty of war stories), and can be used for reference. Please click on The Invested Investor.

I am chair of the board of the Cambridge Business Angels and the Investment Director of the Marshall of Cambridge, Martlet Corporate Angel division. I've led 25+ investment deals and am currently a non-executive director of five angel-backed technology start-ups, plus a board observer of two others.

After studying Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Cambridge, I have founded and run over ten small businesses in technology and construction.. I have mentored literally hundreds of entrepreneurs and am a Fellow in Entrepreneurship at the Cambridge Judge Business School and a Freeman of the City of London. I am chair of Cambentrepreneurs and Policy Portfolio Chair of the Federation of Small Businesses.

I have spec-built several domestic houses and refurbished many others, including the £1.7 million Cambridge Advice Centre.

I have been voluntary chair, treasurer and trustee of numerous charities for over 15 years – various Citizens Advice Bureaux, a drug and alcohol rehabilitation charity (Focus12) and a private sixth form college.

Portfolio

I've invested in over 60 early stage companies. These are largely made up of deep product technology businesses, reflecting my skills and background.

Investment criteria

Speaking and Judging

I appear regularly on media outlets particularly Naked Scientists, broadcast on BBC radio, and in South Africa, Australia and as a podcast. I also speak at events and join judging panels in areas relating to technology, entrepreneurship and angel investment.